5 Questions

Maoists are political activists who believe in Marxism-Leninism-Maoism

Prof. Dr. Ram Kumar Dahal, T.U

TGQ1: Do you Professor Dahal see any linkage in between the September 11 events in the US and back in the region India declaring Nepal's insurgency as a terrorist one given the Maoists fresh rhetoric that they too could hit Singh Durbar and Raj Durbar as Pentagon and the WTC? Your comments please!

Dr. Dahal: The hitting of Pentagon and the World Trade Center in the US on September 11, 2001, was strictly a terrorist activity conducted by organized group of terrorists whose main aim is to destabilize the society. Such activities have to be condemned and discouraged in a worldwide level.

In an environment when the Maoists and the government had conducted second round of talks, the fresh rhetoric from the Maoists side that they too could hit Singh Durbar and Raj Durbar as Pentagon and the WTC was hit has created confusion among the Nepalese that Maoists were the terrorists. India's declaration of these Maoists as "terrorists" immediately after Indian External Affairs Minister Jaswant Singh visited Kathmandu has been interpreted differently in Nepal. But the basic difference between the Nepalese Maoists and the terrorists that hit the United States is that, firstly, the Maoists are political activists believing in Marxism-Leninism-Maoism. Their criminal activities have political motives. The NC leaders during Panchayat days had hijacked Nepal government plane and looted 32 lakhs rupees and used arms against the government particularly in the hill district of Okhaldhunga. The communists too had done so in eastern region of Jhapa district. Similarly bombs were also exploded in Kathmandu during the Panchayat days. These things were done for political purposes. Secondly, the Maoists have conducted criminal activities not outside Nepal. Thirdly, they consider themselves as government and the recent talk between the two, as they view it, is a dialogue between two governments. Fourthly, they claim that they have formed their own government or Jana Sarkar in nearly two dozens of districts which the terrorists usually do not do. Fifthly, the terrorists usually do not involve in public welfare activities, which these Maoists in western hill districts have done including clamping ban on anti-social activities and reform activities like opening schools or banning the rampant use and sale of the alcohol. Sixth, the Maoists have their organized groups to support them e.g, students, women and labor organizations, which terrorists groups usually do not have. Seventhly, they organize strong and large-scale pressure on government, which the terrorists usually can't do.

The government should directly deal with them and should not use other or external force for that. Since this is a fight in between and among the Nepalese, both the sides should demonstrate honesty in solving the issue and contribute for the welfare of the nation.

India perhaps wishes to enter into Nepali territory through a sort of "joint working alliance"

Dr. Surendra K.C, (T.U)

TGQ2: What could be the motive, Dr. K.C. of the Indian establishment in declaring the Nepalese Maoists as terrorists after six years of the insurgency? Your opinions please!

Dr. K.C: The Maoists insurgency that is continuing for well over six years was considered to be the handiwork of the Nepali Royal palace and Indian establishment. Though some even claim that this insurgency has been enjoying the blessings from the Rightists in order to do away with the present democratic order. However, what is very important is that only recently two top leaders of Nepal, ruling party president and main opposition leader, have dragged the name of Nepali royal palace and Indian establishment to have been nurturing the Maoists insurgency. Since these utterances have come from personalities who have remained in power at different intervals of time and hence their assertions can't be dismissed outrightly. People are now forced to go deep into the matters.

According to which procedures and why the army was sent to Holeri, is yet unclear to Nepali people. However, the fact is that the government controlled radio repeatedly told the population that with the arrival of the army in Holerie, the Maoists insurgents have become nervous. However, the fact was not that. In effect, the Holerie incident caused Girija babu his chair indeed. Likewise, minister Govind Raj Joshi too, to recall, was sacked from the ministry for his comment in which he had stated that due to the lack of support from the Palace, he could not take appropriate action against the insurgents who caused panic in Dunai.

On the other hand, the Indian establishment has been unusually kind enough towards the Maoists insurgency. They meet in India, bring arms from India and take shelter in India. When Girija said that then one is forced to believe. It is in this light one should take the Indian declaration wherein India says that the Nepalese Maoists were "terrorists" and that they will support the Nepali monarch and the Nepalese Prime Minister in this regard. This notwithstanding, the internal meaning of this statement could not be that only which has appeared in the recent days. It could be that under this guise, the Indian establishment wishes to enter into a sort of "joint alliance" with the Nepalese side. There is no guarantee that under this scheme the Indian military will not enter into the Nepalese territory. They have done so in the past as well.

What else could be India's intention other than mentioned just above?

US event has positive impact on Nepal

Mr. Narendra Chaudhary,Chairman, Tharu Welfare Society

TGQ3: Do you Mr. Chaudhary visualize some sort of impact on the Nepali Maoists insurgency specially after the September event in the United States and the changed mood of the civilized-democratic world? Your exclusive comments please!

Mr. Chaudhary: The 11 September event which took place in the World Trade Center and the Pentagon in the United States has shaken not only the USA but the whole world. It was an act of terrorism and a war on civilized world. In fact, terrorists have no boundaries, no barriers and no religion. They can go to any extent. New York incident is an example where thousands of people lost their lives, many injured and many are still in search of their loved-ones that came under the debris of the twin tower. In that twin tower more than 50,000 people were working from different part of the world. The American President immediately reacted upon and declared the twenty-first century's first war, a war upon terrorism. The European Union, the UN including the Middle East, China and Russia, the whole world joined the hands and gave full support to the United States. The whole world took unanimous decision to completely crackdown the acts of terrorism from this civilized world.

It does give positive impact to the whole world and Nepal can not remain an exception to that. With the US fresh decision, now any group that takes up the arms, any fundamentalist congregation that wishes to destabilize the civilized-democratic government in any part of the world through the use of the arms and weaponry would be dealt with firmly. Definitely, it would have its impact on Nepal's insurgency too. In the meantime, the Indian government declaring the Maoists as terrorists is also meaningful.

Therefore I think the September 11 event does have immense impact on the Maoists. I thank the present government under Sher Bahadur Deuba who is still trying hard to bring in the insurgency to the nation's political mainstream while the rest of the world have gone against the insurgency for obvious reasons. It is a very good opportunity for the Maoists too to utilize the government's gesture and finalize a safe landing for their insurgency during the impending round of talks. The government and the Maoists must work together in wiping out the menace of terrorism once and for all from this country and make the country happy and prosperous.

It is not only the desire of the government or of the political parties, it is also the fervent wish of the entire civilized society of this kingdom.

Indian intervention in the Nepalese soil is not possible in any pretext

-Yuba Raj Koirala, Political Analyst

TGQ4: The Nepalese establishment is in talks with the Maoists insurgents. The Indian leadership declares Nepali Maoists as "terrorists". How do you, Mr. Koirala as an expert of International relations, interpret these two diametrically opposed stances?

Mr. Koirala: Ask this question to the former prime minister G. P. Koirala who still says that the Maoists are "terrorists" and you would know why at this particular moment the Indians Okayed his proposal. Koirala must have expected something that we don't yet know from the Indian establishment during his last tenure to curb the Maoists insurgency. He had clearly hinted that he would even risk a foreign intervention should the Monarch and the Army refused to move ahead with his plan. To me India by declaring Maoist as terrorists has only hinted Koirala that they will support him willy-nilly should he bounce back to Power or else what could be the Indian motives in such a sudden declaration that too at the moment when the Nepalese establishment is in talks with the insurgents.

Nobody had perhaps calculated that Koirala was sooner or later going to use this as a bargaining chips which he finally did by compelling India to declare the Maoist as "terrorist" and Madhav Nepal seems to know what's cooking in the kitchen. Mr. Nepal now objects India's stance on this particular issue since he knows that hence to accept this will only benefit Koirala.

Personally I do not think that the Indian intervention in the Nepalese soil is possible in any pretext. India has neither the guts nor the legitimacy to do so. However what we Nepalese need to understand is that we must be prepared to deal with the ill intentions, if any, promptly and swiftly if needed.

It is not very important for me what India declares

Mr. Subhash Pokharel, NC Activist

TGQ5: What you would suggest the Maoists given India declaring their insurgency as a terrorist one?Your comments please!

Mr. Pokharel : Well! It is not very important for me what India declares. So far Indian motives are concerned as you wish to get from me, what I can say in this regard is that let us remain alert from the possible Indian designs as it is this country which in the past has always wished to extract political benefits as and when Nepal is in a crisis. By declaring the Maoists as terrorists at this juncture, India might have some thing different in her mind. It could think of entering Nepal in one pretext or the other more specially claiming a threat to her security interests in the name of the Nepal's Maoists
terrorists.

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